So yesterday was a down day for the dogs, and for us. Kylie had the bright idea to plan out our Swamp Rabbit Trail redemption ride for Sunday, so what did we do with our Saturday downtime? We day drank.
We pointed our Jeep toward Canon, Georgia, to a little place called Southern Origin Meadery. I’d never tried mead before, but my oldest son is a RenFaire regular and swears by it, so we figured we’d give it a go. From the outside it was small and unassuming, with some outdoor seating that looked inviting. Inside, we found a cozy bar with shelves of honey, based goodies; shirts, soaps, candles, and more. Naturally, our asses landed on two bar stools within minutes.
The bartender explained the deal: a six mead tasting for $14 each. Sold. Line ‘em up. Over the course of the afternoon we (and by “we,” I mostly mean Kylie, because I was the driver) sampled our way through their menu of sixteen meads. Sweet, dry, fruity, fortified, it was a whole new world of booze. We ordered a couple of dips, beer cheese and dill, to keep ourselves anchored, and the conversation flowed as easily as the drinks.
We got to chatting with one of the owners, grandson of the man who originally ran the building back when it was a denim factory. Now, he and his sister had turned it into something entirely different: a meadery. Turns out he’s also an artist, he designed their labels and even crafted the ceramic light fixtures that hung above the bar. Pretty damn cool if you ask me.
Eventually, we walked out with two bottles of mead and one jar of honey. Back at the rig, we did what all responsible adults do after a midday tasting: we crashed. Two hours later I woke up refreshed, but Kylie woke up with a headache, not thrilled about having a hangover at 4:00 in the afternoon. Still, it was proof the mead packed a punch, and by bedtime she was back to normal. In the end, we chalked it up as worth it, a quirky stop with good people, great drinks, and a story worth retelling. If you’re ever near Canon, GA, stop by Southern Origin Meadery, meet the folks, and have a glass (or six).
